Nutley Raiders’ Bowling Team Returns For An Exciting 2022 Season

The Nutley High School Bowling team is back for another exciting year looking to prove their stellar record in 2021 wasn’t a fluke. That season, the Raiders competed in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) American division, one of the strongest divisions in high school sports.

The squad is ready to bowl and veteran coach Frank Sasso is anxious to get back with his team. “I am really looking forward to this season; we have a great group of athletes in our bowling program,” Sasso said. “I believe that we have to continue to work hard and prepare for every match. This is a new season with new challenges. We should not become complacent; the drive that made us successful last season needs to be there for this season, as well.” 

The 2021 season was a strong one for these bowlers, finishing with a 12-2 record in the SEC-American division. However, Coach Sasso is ready to win. “The boys and girls teams had a very good season; however, that season is over. We will be focusing on this season and revisiting our goals. If we work hard and remain focused, we can have another successful season.”

As the 2021-22 campaign wrapped up, the team, now mostly seniors, the experience could lead this team to success. “We have 7 senior boys and 3 senior girls. These players have been with the program for at least 2 seasons.” Sasso said. “I believe that they understand what we need to do to achieve our goals and to take our teams to the next level. We have some very talented underclassmen which should keep our program competitive in future seasons.”

Experience may be one thing, but talent is a whole different trait. Returning bowler and now-sophomore Jackson Cerniglia-Rapavi earned his role last year as a newcomer on the team. Jackson’s high score was 232 and racked up a total of 5,381 points in sets. 

The team’s first match will be on December 6 on the road against Bloomfield High, and Sasso and his squad are ready to start the campaign off strong. “We have to be prepared for every match, we should never take an opponent lightly. I believe that Nutley's bowling is being viewed by the other teams in the conference as the team to beat. We just have to be prepared and ready to bowl,” Sasso said.